Positioning system, mobile terminal, and program

Abstract

In a positioning system configured to perform positioning using N mobile terminals, where N is an integer of two or greater, each of the mobile terminals includes a positioning device, a communication device configured to exchange information with another mobile terminal using wireless communication, and a battery configured to supply power to the positioning device and the communication device. Each of first mobile terminals that are some of the mobile terminals activates the positioning device to perform positioning of a first current position, and a second mobile terminal other than the first mobile terminals reduces at least power to be used by the positioning device, and uses information of the first current position positioned by the first mobile terminal, and the information exchanged with the first mobile terminal by the communication device to perform positioning of a second current position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A positioning system including a first mobile terminal and a second mobile terminal, the positioning system comprising:
 each of the first mobile terminal and the second mobile terminal including:
 a positioning device that performs positioning using a radio wave; 
 a communication device that has smaller power consumption than the positioning device, and that exchanges information with another mobile terminal using wireless communication; and 
 a battery that supplies power to the positioning device and the communication device, wherein 
 
 one of the first mobile terminal and the second mobile terminal performs positioning of a first current position, 
 the other of the first mobile terminal and the second terminal reduces to lower power to be used by the positioning device than power to be used by the positioning device of the one of the first mobile terminal and the second mobile terminal, 
 the other of the first mobile terminal and the second mobile terminal acquires the first current position from the one of the first mobile terminal and the second mobile terminal via the communication device, and the other of the first mobile terminal and the second mobile terminal sets the first current position to as a second current position when a relative positional relationship between the first mobile terminal and the second mobile terminal is within a predetermined range, and 
 the other of the first mobile terminal and the second mobile terminal sets the second current position based on the first current position and a distance from the first mobile terminal to the second mobile terminal, when the relative positional relationship between the first mobile terminal and the second mobile terminal is without the predetermined range, 
 wherein 
 the first mobile terminal performs positioning of the first current position 
 (i) when power consumption of the positioning device of the first mobile terminal is smaller than power consumption of the positioning device of the second mobile terminal, or 
 (ii) when positioning accuracy of the positioning device of the first mobile terminal is higher than positioning accuracy of the positioning device of the second mobile terminal. 
 
     
     
       2. The positioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first mobile terminal operates as a host device, and the first mobile terminal performs processing of grouping with the second mobile terminal. 
     
     
       3. The positioning system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the grouping is performed using wireless communication utilized by the communication device. 
 
     
     
       4. The positioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the positioning device is GNSS configured to receive a radio wave from a positioning satellite, and the communication device is configured to use a Bluetooth® beacon. 
 
     
     
       5. The positioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the first mobile terminal and the second mobile terminal include a display device configured to display the first current position or the second current position together with a map including the first current position or the second current position. 
 
     
     
       6. The positioning system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 at least one of the display devices provided to the respective mobile terminals is a head-mounted display apparatus configured so that an external scene is visually recognizable, and the mobile terminal configured to cause the head-mounted display device to display the first current position or the second current position and a map including the first current position or the second current position in an overlapped manner with the visually recognized external scene. 
 
     
     
       7. A mobile terminal configured to exchange information with another mobile terminal in a predetermined communication range, the mobile terminal comprising:
 a positioning device configured to perform positioning using a radio wave; 
 a communication device having smaller power consumption than the positioning device, and being configured to detect a relative positional relationship with the other mobile terminal using wireless communication; 
 a battery configured to supply power to at least the positioning device and the communication device, wherein 
 the mobile terminal is 
 configured to at least reduce power to be used by the positioning device, when the relative positional relationship between the other mobile terminal is within a predetermined range, the mobile terminal acquires and sets a position of the other mobile terminal to as to a current position, and 
 when the relative positional relationship with the other mobile terminal is without the predetermined range, the mobile terminal sets the current position based on the position of the other mobile device and a distance from the mobile terminal to the other mobile terminal, 
 wherein 
 the other mobile terminal performs positioning of the position the other mobile terminal: 
 (i) when power consumption of the positioning device of the other mobile terminal is smaller than power consumption of the positioning device of the mobile terminal, or 
 (ii) when positioning accuracy of the positioning device of the other mobile terminal is higher than positioning accuracy of the positioning device of the mobile terminal. 
 
     
     
       8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that is executed by a computer and is configured to control a mobile terminal configured to communicate with another mobile terminal in a predetermined communication range, the program being configured to achieve:
 on a mobile terminal, 
 a function of operating a positioning device configured to perform positioning using a radio wave; 
 a function of operating a communication device having smaller power consumption than the positioning device, and being configured to detect a relative positional relationship with the other mobile terminal using wireless communication; 
 a function of at least reducing power to be used by the positioning device; 
 a function of acquiring and setting position of the other mobile terminal to as to a current position when the relative positional relationship between the other mobile terminal is within a predetermined range; and 
 a function of setting a current position based on the position of the other mobile device and a distance from the mobile terminal to the other mobile terminal when the relative positional relationship with the other mobile terminal is without the predetermined range the mobile terminal, 
 wherein 
 the other mobile terminal performs positioning of the position the other mobile terminal: 
 (i) when power consumption of the positioning device of the other mobile terminal is smaller than power consumption of the positioning device of the mobile terminal, or 
 (ii) when positioning accuracy of the positioning device of the other mobile terminal is higher than positioning accuracy of the positioning device of the mobile terminal.